Flight control for an unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneeCleo Robotics Inc.
InventorsOmar Eleryan, Szymon Czarnota
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightweight, pocket-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can be held in an outstretched hand by a user for take-off and landing of the UAV. The UAV comprises a semi-toroidal or a substantially toroidal hollow body that defines a duct. The UAV further comprises a motor for rotating a fan that directs air into and out of the duct enabling UAV to take flight. The UAV comprises a flight-control system that comprises at least two flight control surfaces that can alter the directed air as it flows through the duct for controlling the roll and pitch and optionally the yaw of the UAV during flight. The flight control system may be controlled by a microprocessor controller. The UAV further comprises a payload, with at least a wireless transmitter and receiver unit.
Claims20
An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a body that defines a duct with an upper end and a lower end that is opposite to the upper end, a vertical axis extending through a center of the body and from the upper end to the lower end;
- at least one electric motor;
- at least one fan within the duct that is operatively coupled to the at least one electric motor for rotating the at least one fan and creating an airflow into the upper end of the duct and out the lower end of the duct for creating thrust;
- at least two flaps;
- and
- a flight control system to drive, to change at least one of a direction, a pressure or a rate of the airflow at the lower end of the duct responsive to one or more instructions to control at least one of a pitch or a roll, one or more of the at least two flaps between a retracted position in the body and a protruded position out from the body and into an area of the duct adjacent the lower end.
A method, comprising:
- providing an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
- a body that defines a duct with an upper end and a lower end that is opposite to the upper end, a vertical axis extending through a center of the body and from the upper end to the lower end;
- at least one electric motor;
- at least one fan within the duct that is operatively coupled to the at least one electric motor for rotating the at least one fan and creating an airflow into the upper end of the duct and out the lower end of the duct for creating thrust;
- and
- at least two flaps;
- and
- driving, by a flight control system, to change at least one of a direction, a pressure or a rate of the airflow at the lower end of the duct responsive to one or more instructions to control at least one of a pitch or a roll, one or more of the at least two flaps between a retracted position in the body and a protruded position out from the body and into an area of the duct adjacent the lower end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.